


Beautiful Secrets

by DarkenTheLight



Category: Original Work, Pretty Little Liars
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-10-30 08:51:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 4,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10873368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkenTheLight/pseuds/DarkenTheLight
Summary: Small town.Perfect friends.Perfect lives.All until one goes missing and everything they know is questioned.///Cowritten with @_thatsokay on Wattpad.





	1. Wednesday Night

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for deciding to pick up our story! We put so much hard work into it. Enjoy!
> 
> Side Note: This story is unedited. There are and will be mistakes and it would be helpful if you could point them out to us except, once is enough.
> 
> Side-side Note: Though this is listed as a PLL fanfiction, it is also listed as an original work because yes it is based on the general idea of PLL and it follows many of the same themes, but Beautiful Secrets is entirely original characters/story.

**A N D R E A**

 

 

I awkwardly check my phone trying to blend into the crowd, 10:43 it read over the four missed calls from "mom". No use in trying to make it back before curfew, overflowing the captivity of hundreds of intoxicated high school students.

>  "Come on Andrea." Cassie shouts motioning me to follow; stumbling over people in a tipsy but graceful way as Hunter, Lia, and Landen trail behind her.

Disappearing in the consuming crowd, all heading in the same direction like a drunken Mario Kart race to make it to the balcony. I unconsciously head in their footsteps, setting my red cup on a counter. My amber hair trailing behind me as I go faster to catch up with them, although unable to hear my own thoughts over the base filled music spinning, embodying the whole apartment. I collect my thoughts as much as I can and grasp the cold but reassuring railing that leads up to the door. Silence.

As I open the door and escape the environment the noise, anxiety, and heat all disappears in an instant, with the city landscape and the brisk air. I look over, Hunter setting on the ledge nervously holding onto his solo cup looking up into the never ending stars. Cassie spinning in circles and dancing on the bare balcony in her knee highs Forever 21 socks with her dress flowing in her movement. And Landen holding his cigarette and walking over to to informally "welcome" me. I give him an annoyed look as he puts the cigar in his mouth, almost telepathically he answers.

>  "What? Don't look at me like that, they were out of pizza." I intently ignore him and head over to Hunter, when I notice it gets loud again. I look over to see Lia quickly open the door to and rush over and dose a spin with Cassie and heads over to Landen, handing him a slice of greasy pepperoni pizza.

Lia takes my hand and in almost whisper she says.

>  "Are you guys ready for an adventure?"

She says in a mysterious and flirty voice. Not knowing whether she was serious or not we all look up at each other then back up at her. She looks down from the balcony then climbs down the narrow unsteady latter on the side, disappearing into the night.

 


	2. Cookie Dough

**C A S S I E**

 

And just like that I stop spinning, dizzily falling into Hunter. There we all were a drunken mess climbing down the unsteady ladder of the apartment complex at two am. Once we all make it there we all look at Lia in silence.

> "What are you all looking at me for, I can't solve all the worlds problems you know." She says.

All of us start to say something but then our words trail off before we finish.

> "We should go back to my apartment and eat cookie dough." Lia says eagerly like a child.
> 
> "Have you never heard of salmonella?" Hunter says jokingly, being the first of us besides Lia to say anything, he was the best looking out of us but the most irritating.
> 
> "Do you guys have any better ideas?" She says in a slightly disappointed voice walking over to Landen.
> 
> "Shit!" He says as she starts to rest her head on his shoulder.
> 
> "What?" Andrea confusingly mumbles.
> 
> "We have school today."

Hunter sighs and Cassie rolls her eyes. We all get in Lia's car ending our adventure before it starts, heading over to her apartment. Our ride was generally quiet,with all the windows let down in her white Jeep wagon a rush of cold air hits us as she slams the breaks.

We all got out heading upstairs to Lia's apartment. The place was empty other than her older brother, who was making out with his overly handsy girlfriend, Brook.

The guys stay downstairs lounging on the black leather couch as her brother and Brook left. Andrea and I follow Lia back up to her room. Not saying anything we all take off our tight mini skirts and tank tops and throw on her old over sized t-shirts trying to get as much sleep as possible in such a short window of time .


	3. Mr. Collins

**L A N D E N**

 

 

We get about three hours of sleep before the girls come downstairs to get food, waking us up in the process.

I fix my hair and throw on black ripped skinny jeans and a white shirt and take a pair of Lia's circular sunglasses off her dresser. We were tired hungover teens eating blueberry pop tarts at six in the morning.

We eventually make our way to Lia's car and head to school.

> "How bad would it be if we just skipped today?" Lia said, we all stop to think unable to tell if she was joking or not.

It wasn't long till the fifteen minutes passed and we were all walking and dispersing in different directions to our lockers. I follow Lia to hers as she touches up her lip gloss and sprays on perfume before we head to AP English. I have to admit Mr.Collins our twenty-eight year old English teacher/Hoister model, being the first thing I see in the morning isn't so bad.

The rest of the periods pass by slower than they needed too, all adding to my growing pile of homework that I'll most likely forget tomorrow, and don't even get me started on PE.

Finally making it to lunch, I head to our normal table to sit with Andrea and Hunter who are waiting for the others. Stopping them in the middle of there conversation Lia and Cassie sit down with there attempt to be healthy with salads and ice cream sandwiches.

> "I'd kill for some fried rice right now, Chinese tonight?" I say without hesitation looking at what they had for lunch.
> 
> "I second that." Lia saying and with the other in agreement.
> 
> "Is it just me or does Mr.Collins get hotter every time I see him?" Cassie says staring back at him.
> 
> "Says the girl with a boyfriend." Hunter says under his breath.
> 
> "Hunter don't get jealous of a teacher I mean he is like twice our age right?" Andrea says defensively, ignoring her we go on about Mr.Collins, Chinese food, and our bio test until the bell rings.

...

The rest of the day went on much faster. I walk down the hallways to find Lia to get a ride home and fried rice which I have been craving the whole day, but I end up finding Cassie wandering in the same direction.

> "Hey have you seen Lia? We were going to get frappuccinos but I can't find her." Cassie turns back to ask me.
> 
> "I was going to ask you the same thing. She was going to give me a ride and we were going to pick up Chinese." I pause hesitantly.
> 
> "Don't worry, Hunter's in her eighth period right? We can just ask him, maybe they're together." I say this not knowing whether I'm reassuring Cassie or myself.

 


	4. Take Out

**H U N T E R**

 

 

I start to head to the gym after calculus, but I turn back after realizing it was conditioning day for all the basketball players.

I could still here the speakers as I grabbed my gym bag to check my phone. An ass load of messages from Cassie and Landen, appear on my screen.

As soon as I look up Cassie and Landen are in front of me looking out of breath.

> "Have you seen Lia?" They say at the same time taking long breaths as they go.

I check my phone again. No text from her.

> "She told me to tell you guys to meet her for Chinese at her house, she told me you would call it in because you know the best place." I recall looking at Landen.

They look at each other then back at me.

Did they think something happened to her?

> "Do you guys need a ride?" I ask changing the subject.
> 
> "I can get one from Jake, you and Landen can pick up the food and I'll tell Andrea about meeting up."

Landen and I walk out into the fall air as he looks at his reflection in his phone to fix his hair.

> We get to my car as I sit in the drivers seat. "Do you want me to call or you?"

I say as he looks up the Chinese food website.

> "What should we get?" He asks me, we both take a second to think because it was obvious neither of us thought about it before. Landen calls the number and puts it on speaker looking at the menu from another screen. The person on the other end answers and Landen orders in one long strand of words.

The waiters response is cut off as I start the engine. Our town is pretty small so it wasn't too hard to find. As we walk in the air is filled with smells of oils and sauces, all around us were red and yellow lanterns and the waving cats that they always have. We go to the counter to meet a skinny short older woman, she doesn't say anything so we say our name, hand her the money and she gives us our food.

On our way to Lia's Landen changes the radio constantly and ends up stopping on a station we both like.

The door wasn't locked so we walked in to find to find Andrea and Cassie sitting on the couch, Andrea with coconut water and Cassie with a diet coke.

> "What took you guys so long have you heard from Lia?" Andrea ask.
> 
> "No, is she not here?" Landen says.

Andrea and Cassie shakes their heads no and glance toward the food.

> "Would it be bad if we ate without her?" Andrea asks yet we are already taking out the food handing out forks.

It's not long before Lia's brother comes in with his girlfriend. Looking at all of us his face changes.

> "Where is Lia?" He asks
> 
> "Has she not talked to you?" Cassie says with hope in her voice.
> 
> "Why would I be asking you if she did?" This being the last thing he says before he walks to his room with Brook.

 


	5. XOXO

**C A S S I E**

 

 

The only noise you could hear was the sound of our forks and the constant moaning from the room behind us. My phone buzzed on the table as I went to grab a egg roll.

> "You guys up for a party?" I say unsure.
> 
> "Are you serious? What about Lia?" Andrea asks.
> 
> "Look she may be there I mean its with a bunch of older guys right? It's a possibility." Landen says.
> 
> "He has a good point." Hunter agrees.
> 
> "Please don't make me wear a mini skirt again." Andrea says as we head up the stairs to Lia's room, leaving the boys and our trash behind.

We look through Lia's closet and the clothes from yesterday like we normally would if Lia was here. I convinced Andrea to wear a gold sparkly tank top with black shorts and a light pink and rose gold dress for me with my dirty blond hair in a bun. The guys had switched shirts and fixed their hair.

We didn't look as "perfect" as we did yesterday or any other time we went out but it was for Lia.

I rode shotgun because I had the directions on my phone. It was just outside of town, riding the whole way in silence.We got out and adjusted our tight cloths hoping that coming to the party was the right choice.

> "Should we stay together or split up?" Hunter says turning to us.
> 
> "Your choice, if it were up to me I'd be at Lia's watching Friends and eating ramen." Andrea says bitterly.
> 
> "We can split up for ten minutes and if no one finds her then meet back here." Hunter says.

We all head inside, each splitting up into different rooms. Not knowing where to go I head out back to the fire pit to see if anyone had seen her. I step outside with a rush of cold and windy air hitting me. There was a couple out back, half naked and making out.I turn to go back inside as someone grabs me by my waist

> "Hey baby, didn't know you would make it tonight." Jake says pulling me in for a kiss.
> 
> "Jake I can't right now. Have you seen Lia?" I say pulling away.

Looking at him I couldn't tell if he was sad or mad.

> "I don't think so, did she not come with you guys?" He asks me as if I'm oblivious.

On that note I head inside trying to find anyone at this point. I look over at the group dancing to a song I don't know and find Landen and some college guy grinding on each other and making out. I roll my eyes heading to get a drink only to find a group of girls all hovered around Hunter who are obsessing over his hair. Almost ready to give up I go over to the makeshift bar run by a girl with purple highlights.

> "What can I get you?" She says clearly looking down at my boobs.
> 
> "I don't care, anything."
> 
> "Alright, you look like a rose girl, are you a rose girl?" She asks walking away.

She comes back over to me handing me a pinkish colored drink with flakes of gold in it.It was almost too pretty to drink. Nonetheless my aching to drink to take away the stress went away and the urge to enjoy my drink took over.

I started to forget what we came for and had another drink.Which turned into four.

> "Weren't you looking for something or someone?" The purple hair woman asks me.

I nod.

> "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Andrea yells over the roaring music before I can continue.

Following behind her we're Landen and Hunter who were clearly enjoying there time before she dragged them along to find me.

> "This is hopeless, you guys are hopeless." Andrea says clearly mad. "If you want to go back to drinking or your man candy or whatever then go ahead, I'm going back in the car to actually look for my friend."

She has a good point. Without hesitation I grab my drink and we head back to the car. At this point I don't think any of us knew what to do. We all sat in the car waiting for an idea to come to mind.

Andrea's phone goes off.

We all look at Andrea waiting to see if she was going to tell us who texted her. But as I looked back at her she drops her phone trying to hand it to Hunter.

He bends over to grab it and reads it out loud.

> " _ _Andrea your very persistent to find a girl who may not even still be alive. Take my advice and stop looking before people get blamed and others go missing.__  
>  **XOXO** "

 


	6. Seduction

> **L A N D E N**

 

 

> "Calm down guys it could just be someone from the party who we asked or Lia's brother messing with us." Cassie says clearly drunk.
> 
> "Am I not the only one who thinks that some freaky shit is about to go down? Lia might be hurt. We might get hurt. For all we know the police could be on there way for us right now."

Everyone looks blankly at me after saying this.

> "So what do we do?" Andrea says taking back her phone rereading over the message.
> 
> "I'll drive us back to Lia's and we can all go back home after." Hunter says.
> 
> "Who could it be? I mean honestly."

Andrea says what we were all thinking.

> "What do we do just go to school like nothing happened? Do we stop looking for her? What if the police get involved? What do we say?"

None of us know the answer.

> "Do you want me to spend the night with you?" Hunter says softly to Andrea. She nods.
> 
> " _Just fuck already_." I mouth to Cassie, she slightly laughs in agreement, as they pull up to my house.

I get out and walk in to the house.

> "Landen, is that you?" My mom called from the kitchen, before I have a chance to answer she starts talking again.
> 
> "We got food for you if you still want it."
> 
> "Thanks mom." I say heading upstairs to take a shower. At this point all I could think to do is try to forget about everything that had happened. As I'm eating the cold fries I text Hunter to see how Andrea is, he doesn't reply.

I don't think anyone is going to be able to give me a ride tomorrow.

...

> "Mom can I borrow your car?" I ask running into the kitchen.

She's too busy making breakfast to say anything so, I take it as a yes and grab her keys.

I get in her car. Driving to school. Going to my locker. None of it felt right, it was all like some weird Groundhog Day or something.

I erase all the thoughts from mind and head into my first hour with Mr. Collins, which I was hoping he would make my day feel more normal. Apparently it was my lucky day because he was wearing a pair of skinny slacks that made his butt look good.

...

The bell rings so I force my eyes off him and start to head out.

> "Landen can you stay after, I need to talk to you for a bit?"

I turn around to face Mr. Collins, a sexy smirk covering his face. I try my hardest to remain calm.

> "Of course, what is it?" I ask taking a step closer.

We're alone now. Just the two of us in this enclosed classroom. Windows covered and door closed.

> "I've seen you watching me the past few weeks." He says breaking the silence.

I twitch.

> "No, I..." He cuts me off.
> 
> "The sideways glances. The lip bites. I see the way you look at me." He says looking me up and down.

I'm speechless with my head spinning, and my heart racing. He walks up to me taking the books out of my hand and setting them on his desk.

> "Mr. Collins you're married I can't do this." I say going after my books.

He puts his hands on my chest running his fingers down my body.

> "Don't you want to?" He whispers in my ear.

_Yes._

I breath in collecting myself before I grab him by the collar and pull him into a kiss. Our bodys in sync with each other. He picks me up setting me down on his desk his lips never leaving mine. Suddenly everything that's happened in the past few days leaves my mind, so that I can focus on now.

He breaks away and starts kissing my neck, I close my eyes.

...

As I walk out of his class, confused and dazed I stumble at the door and fall dropping my books everywhere.

I sigh looking around making sure no one saw me but too late because I hear Mr. Collins laughing as the door clicks shut.

> "Dammit." I mumble bending over to grab my books. I drop them even before I get them an inch off the ground. A note attached to the front of my binder stares me down making me regret the past twenty minutes.
> 
> "Let's hope this isn't a secret that you keep like the ones you and Lia had. Though, I'm not one to kiss and tell. XOXO"

 


	7. Missing Pieces

**A N D R E A**

 

 

I don't understand.  
  
I look down at my phone, reading over the text again for the hundredth time.

I glance up to reasure myself that Ms. Shaw can't see us. She's giving a lecture about the War of 1812 but I can barely hear her over the sounds of constant snoring.

> "Who do you think sent it?" Cassie asks looking up at me.
> 
> "It was someone at the party. They we're there with us, they heard what I said."
> 
> "I know that but I don't see who-." Cassie stops mid-sentence. Ms. Shaw reaches down and grabs the phone from my hand.
> 
> "What do you think you two are doing?" She asks looking for a direct answer.

I look over at Cassie hoping she can lie our way out of this.

> "We're sorry Ms. Shaw, but Andrea's mother is in the hospital and we we're waiting to hear from her father." I smile tugs at the corner of my lips.

Ms. Shaw's face goes from angry to concerned.

> "May I ask what happened?"

This time Cassie looks over at me, waiting for the next lie.

> "She fell down the stairs and broke her... colloid." My voice quivers.

The bell rings and Ms. Shaw gives me a look as if to say "I'm sorry." and sets my phone down before returning to her desk.

I grab my books and head out the door, Cassie catching up behind me.

> "Colloid?" She laughs.
> 
> "I had to think of something." I laugh with her.

She shakes her head and we stop at my locker. I drop my books inside and grab my purse as my phone goes off.

> _Missing pieces, are you? Have fun putting them together. XOXO_

 


	8. Unexplained Confessions

**H U N T E R**

 

 

> "Landen, I'm really worried about Andrea. Have you gotten anything?"

I stare into Landen's eyes which are focused elsewhere. He gives off a blank look. There was so much on his mind, yet he couldn't speak. He couldn't find a way to let it all out. Nobody could. Andrea couldn't keep her eyes off her phone. It's like when Lia went missing the whole world stopped for her, I guess that's how she would have liked it, no matter how fucked up it was.

> "Has no one else gotten a message?" Landen, snapping out of his daze, shifts in his seat silently.
> 
> "Am I the only one who is going to talk today? Cassie your hung over, Landen you did god knows what, and Andrea I get your scared, but don't you at least want to talk about it?"

Andrea opens her mouth, but is saved by the bell ending this one sided conversation.

> "Meet me at my car after school." Andrea says quietly. The group separates leaving me alone at an empty lunch table anxiously worrying about everyone. She was all I could think about until the final bell rang. I was the first one there, the rest came a few minutes after. Neither saying anything, as we all got into her gray Subaru.

...

The moment we get inside Lia's apartment Andrea goes frantic looking for pens and paper in her bag. She disappears into the kitchen coming back a moment later with a metal bowl.

> "I have an idea," she says setting everything on the floor. "Whoever has gotten a message, write it down and put it in the bowl."

Once we are all done, Cassie grabs the bowl and lays out each piece, displaying every message we already know of, Andrea's. We were all thinking it, but Andrea was the one who said it.

> "Come on guys, I can't be the only one." She said as anger began to fill inside her.

Landen shifts again.

> "Landen, what is it?" Landen freezes. He hesitates, reaching into his pocket pulling out a piece of paper. He looks at me.
> 
> "Here." He sighs throwing the paper in my direction.

Andrea and Cassie scoot closer, their faces just as curious as mine.

> "Let's hope this isn't a secret that you keep like the ones you and Lia had. Though, I'm not one to kiss and tell."
> 
> "What are they talking about?" Cassie gets up to sit next to him. Landen shakes his head.
> 
> Andrea's face is far from sympathy. "Don't comfort him, Cassie."
> 
> "He's our friend, it doesn't matter what he did."
> 
> "Ask him then?" Andrea says glaring at Landen.
> 
> "He's not going to tell us, Andrea. If he isn't ready."

A tear escapes from Landen's eye, rolling down his face before dropping to the ground.

> "Damn, if he isn't ready. He's kept enough secrets as it is and with who? Lia our best friend or did you forget she's even missing. Secrets overtake people Cassie, for all we know it could've been Landen." Andrea goes after Landen, Cassie quickly blocking her path.
> 
> "I understand you're worried about Lia going missing, trust me we all are, but coming at Landen isn't an option right now." Cassie snapped.

Looking at this play out I realized the world didn't just stop for Lia, it sped up going in all directions wrecking havoc. The way I see it is that we all see things how we want them. In a way we all have our own universe and in Lia's universe we don't exist without her.

> "Guys!" They all stop and look up at me except for Landen. "Do you not see what's happening? Lia's been gone for two days and we're already letting her ruin us. She's not some poor innocent little girl. She's vindictive, sneaky, and she kept secrets. What Landen did doesn't matter. We can figure that out later. Stop fighting and just sit down."

Andrea backs up and sits on the couch, Cassie following her. Landen raises his head looking around the room his eyes stopping on me.

> "What are we going to do?"

It was such a good question, though it's always the best questions that have the hardest answers.

 

 


	9. Darkness

**C A S S I E**

 

 

This weekend had been the longest weekend of my life. No calls or texts from anyone. We we're all taken from the scene that played out at Lia's apartment, Friday. It was Monday now, the day I dreaded the most. The last thing I planned on doing today was dragging myself to school, but I had an idea.

George Whitaker, the school nerd, has had the biggest crush on me since grade school , and luckily for me he's into technology. My hope in all of this was getting him to be able to track down Lia's phone.

_I need your help_. I wait a minute, but Landen doesn't reply.

It wasn't hard to find George, he was always in the computer lab.

> "George, can I talk to you?" George turns his attention away from the computer screen. "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you."
> 
> "No, of course you aren't." he said eagerly, like I had been the first girl he had ever talked to.
> 
> "Do you know how track down someone's phone?" I hesitantly say, blurting everything out at once.
> 
> "I'll I see what I can do."He doesn't even look the slightest bit curious.
> 
> "Thank you, I owe you one." I bend down planting him a kiss on the cheek, his face going bright red.

 

 

Thirty minutes or so passed by and I was growing impatient, I start to head out. I check my phone to make sure George hasn't texted me yet. No text from George but I had a message from an unknown number.

> _Computer skills won't help you find a dead girl. XOXO_

Lia could be a pain but the last thing I wanted was for her to be dead. The bell for class rings. I'm always tarty so I didn't mind walking as slow as my mind was working. The bell rang as I opened the door to my AP biology class taking a set next to Tate. I pull out a sheet of paper to take notes on the power point up on the board, blanking out as soon as I looked up. I could breath. I couldn't think. Everything was blurry. I couldn't feel anything at all.

I could tell others were looking at me but I couldn't stop the feeling. Mrs. Klein walks over to to my desk putting her hand over my shoulder, ushering me to the nurse or get a drink.

Landen is at his locker, drifting his sight over to me as I pass him walking with guidance. All I could hear is the slam of a locker and quick footsteps following behind.

> "Go back to class I can take her." I hear the faint sound of Landen as I dizzy stand by trying to figure out what is going on now, with Lia, with the texts. In an instant everything goes dark.


End file.
